Winding machine



P 1933. J. A. ANDERSON 1,928,365

WINDING MACHINE Filed July 26, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet l Sept. 26, 1933.

J. A. ANDERSQN WINDING MACHINE Filed July 26, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2flMav Patented Sept. 26, 1933 PATENT; OFFICE WINDING MACHINE Johan A.Anderson, Cranston, R. I., assignor to Universal Winding Company,Boston, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Application July 26, 1929.Serial No. 381,275

9 Claims. (Cl. 242' 4s) This invention relates to winding machines andparticularly to that type of machine in which the thread, yarn or otherstrand material is traversed on the cop or package by means of a splitdrum or roll having a helical slot or groove in its periphery throughwhich the strand draws in feeding to the Winding.

One object of the invention is to provide a machine of the typespecified having means for automatically threading the strand into thegroove or slot in the drum at the start of the winding operation andvwhen the end requires piecing up. g

Another object of the invention is to provide a machine of the typespecified having means wherebywhen. the strand is laid across thesurface of the drum the rotation of the latter will cause the strand tobe shifted laterally thereon to introduce it into the slot or groove inthe periphery of the drum.

Another object of. the invention is to provide a machine of the typespecified. in which the automatic threadingof the strand. into thegroove or slot in the drum is accomplished quickly and surely withoutdanger of the strand being cut or broken.

Further objects of the improvement are set forthin the followingspecification which describes a preferred form of construction of the 3invention by way. of example as illustrated by the accompanyingdrawings. In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a winding unit showingmy invention'asapplied to use therewith;

. Fig. 2 is a front view ofthe essential elements of the windingmechanism; and

Fig. 3 is a development of the surface of the split drum ortraverse-rollshowing the peculiar formation thereof which provides forthe automatic threading of the strand into the slot of the drum. 7 v iThe present invention consists in general in providing a winding machinehaving a split drum for traversing the material on the cop or package tobe wound with the slit or slotin the periphery of the. drum so formed asto adapt it to pick up the strand as it is laid across the surface ofthe drum, and including means for guiding the strand into such positionon the drum that it will invariably be carried into the slit. U9 Thepresent invention may be applied to various types of winding machines inwhich the cop or package to be wound is either driven positively or bysurface contact with a drum or driveroll. In the present embodiment thewinding mechanism is illustrated as comprising a split right brackets 5which are mounted on and overhang the front of the frame or bed 2. 1

The drive-shaft 3 carries the'split drums 7, one for each Winding unit,arranged at inter- 7 vals along the front of the frame or bed 2. As allof the drums are of the same construction, however, only one is hereinillustrated. The shaft 3 may be driven to rotate the drum 7 by means of'a suitable belt, chain or gearing, or it may 7 be connected directlywith a source of power such as an electric motor.

In the present embodiment of the invention the cop or package is rotatedfromthe drum 7 and for this purpose its axis is arranged to move awayfrom the drum as the'winding builds up on the tube or carrier whichserves as a central support or core for the package. As hereinillustrated the machine is adapted to wind packages of conical formsupported on a tapered coptube or carrier C. The cop-tube or carrier Cis supported from a holder H which is rotatably journaled on adead-spindle 12 carried at the end of a swinging arm 13, the latterbeing pivoted at 14 to an upstanding lug or bearing 15 formed as a partof or attached to one of the brackets 5. Preferably, the spindle 12 ishinged to the forked end of the arm 13 at 16 to adapt it to be swungoutwardly from above the drum 7' to facilitate the. placing of the.cop-tube or carrier C on its holder H and the doifing of the completedpackage therefrom. The spindle 12 is normally maintained in parallelrelation with respect to the axis of the drum 7 by means of a fiatspring 17 engaging its squared off end beyond the pivot 14 as usuallyprovided.

A rod 18, hooked through a hole 19 in the arm 13 and held by acotter-pin 20, extends downwardly through a guiding lug 21 on thebracket N 5 and carries one or more weights 22 at its lower 0 end. Theweight 22 acts as a counterbalance to maintain the cop or packagebearing against the periphery of the drum '7 to provide the drivingcontact therebetween. I

Fastened to the outer end of one of the brack- 119 ets 5 is a dependingarm held in place by bolts 26. Attached to the forward side of the arm25 by means of bolts 27 is a tension-bracket 28 which projects outwardlyfrom the front of the machine. Mounted on the bracket 28 is atension-device 30 comprising a pair of disks 31 axially supported by avertical pin 32. A sleeve 33 slidable on the pin 32 carries one or moreweights 34 which act through a helical spring 35 to apply pressure tothe upper tension-disk to cause it to bear against the strand y of yarnor thread drawing between the disks. From the tension-disks 31 thestrand y draws through a guide 36 and thence around a rod 37. held inthe arm 25 whereby it is directed through the groove or slot in the drum7 to feed directly to the cop or package being wound on the tube orcarrier C.

'As shown most clearly into two parts by the slitor slot. 8, eachsection being supported by spokes radiating from a hub 6. The slit 8extends helically of the periphery of the drum inonedirection and thenreverses to lead back in the opposite direction where it joins the endof the first portion of the helix. Referring toFig. 3, which shows adevelopment of the surface of the drum, the helical slit 8 is offset at9 to form a sharp bend where it reverses from one direction to theother. The purpose of this construction is to. provide a sharp cornerwhere theslit changes its course from one direction to the other so thatthe strand traveling in the slit will be reversed abruptly at the endsof its traverse to prevent it from overrunning the ends of the cop orpackage. Stated briefly, the peculiar formation of the slit as hereinshown provides for a quick reversal in the traverse of the strand asit-reaches the end of the cop or package so that each coil of .windingis laid with a sharp bend toprevent it from sliding off or falling downover the edges of the package.

} 7 As one feature of thepresent invention the periphery of the drum 7is provided with a secondary groove or slot 10 extending in a directionperpendicular to the axis of the drum and entering the helical slot8..at 11. The purpose of this auxiliary slot 10 is to provide a guidingpassage or. pick-up means for receiving the strand as it is laid acrossthe .periphery .of the drum 7 in leading-it from the guide-rod 37 to thepackage in threading up the machine before the start of the windingoperation, and also in piecing up the strand when it breaks or itssupply becomes exhausted. The drum 7 turns in the direction indicated bythe arrows' in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 and thestrand yiis first'caused'to beentered into the auxiliary threading slot 10. After the strand has beenreceived in this slot it will slide to the end thereof as .thedrumrotates in the direction indicated by thearrows and will thus beintroduced into the helical slot 8 -to cause it to be traversedback andforth longitudinally of the package being wound; the automatic threadingof the strand into the traversing slot being as hereinafter more fullyexplained.

,In order that the strand may be invariably introduced into thethreading-slot 10 from whatever position it may be-laid on the surfaceof the drum, means are provided for causing it to be carried laterallyacross the face of the drum as the latter is rotated. For this purpose aV-shaped guard or guide 40 is arranged circumferentially of the forwardside of the drum ,7, being, preferably conformed to the cylindrical inFigs. 2. and 3, the drum 7 is formed with its peripheral rim splitsurface thereof. As herein illustrated the threading guide or guard 40is constructed in two halves which are supported from opposite brackets5. Each half of the guard consists in an arcuately-shaped plate 41having a laterally extending arm 42 which is offset to adapt it to befastened tothe side of the vertical arm 25. The arms 42 are fastened tothe arms 25 by means of the bolts 26 which secure the arms .to thebrackets 5, an additional screw 43 being also employed for this purpose.The lower portions of the guard-plates 41 have straight edges 44arranged in opposite relation a short distance apart to provide a narrowslit or opening 45. Above the center of the plates 41 their edges 46 areinclined away from each other to form a V-shaped opening 47, and at thetop of the edges round into the sides of the plates at 48. The manner inwhich the guard coacts with the threading slot 10 in the drum 7 to feedthe strand into the helical slot 8 is later more fully explained. 1

It will be observed by reference to Fig. 1 that when the machine isoperating, the strand 1; draws, from the rod 37 through the helical slot8 to a point substantially coincident with the point of contact betweenthe surface of the package and the periphery of the drum. The strandwill normally, however, have a tendency to draw tangent to the rearwardside of the package and therefore to maintain it feeding toward thepoint of contact of the'package on the drum, a thread-bail 50 isprovided along which the strand plays. Thebail 50 may consist of a rodor wire, bent into U-shape to adapt its legs 51 to straddle the sides ofthe drum 7 to be supported'from the shaft 3. One of the legs 51 of thebail 50 is bent around the end of the hub 6 of the drum 7 while theopposite leg is held by a collar 52 rotatable on the shaft 3 between theend of the hub of the drum and the bearing 4. The collar 52 has aprojecting boss 53 formed with a hole, into which the end of the leg 51is inserted. Dependingfrom the collar 52 is an arm 54, to which arefastened one or more adjustable weights 55. The weights 55 may be slidlongitudinally-of the arm 54.-to provide the proper counterbalance forthe thread-bail 50 whereby to normally maintain it in. the position asillustrated in Fig. 1,. a-..set-screw 56 being employed to secure theweights in their adjusted position.

Referring toFig. 2 of the drawings, a sleeveor collar 60 is mounted 'onthe shaft.3 between the opposite hubs 6 of. the drum 7. The sleeve 60 isfree to turn on the shaft-3 and is provided with a depending arm 61carrying a cross-pin 62 at its lower end. Held on the cross-pin 62 arecounterweights 63 secured in placeby'cotterpins 64 or other suitablemeans. Projecting upwardly from the sleeve 60 isa flat plate or blade 65which serves as a guard to hold the strand of yarn or threadfromcatching on the hubs of the drum 7 or the, shafts. a means forpreventing the end. of a broken strand from being caught up by the hubsorv the shaft and wound thereon to become entangled in the mechanism.

The construction and arrangement of the mechanism of the improvedmachine having now The guard 65 serves as The strand 3/ of yarn,threador supply, usually arranged below, carried through i theguide-opening on the tension-bracketZB and threaded between thetension-disks 31, whence it is drawn rearwardly through the guide 36 andunder the rod 37. The end of the strand isthen carried up across theconvex surface of the guard 40 and, fastened to thecop-t'ub or receiverC vwhich has previously been applied to position on .loweredito bringthe surface of the cop-tube or yarn-receiver C into contact with, theperiphery of the drum 7. Immediately this driving contact is effectedthe drum '7 will start to rotate the coptube or yarn-receiver C andthestrand 1 will be wound thereon. As the strand commences to wind onto thereceiver C the slack will'be taken up and it will be drawn down one edge46 .or the other of the V-shaped opening between the guard-plates 41.vIt. is immaterial as to what point the strand attached to the cop-tubeor receiver C, since in whatever position it may be'laid across theguard 40 immediately itsdraft is startedit will be caused to drawdownthe inclined edge 46 of one of the plates 41 to carry it toward thecenter of the drum 7 and into the slot 45. betweenthe' edges 9140f theguard-plates. When the strand y ,has been drawn into thismid-position'f. the rotation .of. the drum 7 will bring thethreading-slot 10 around opposite the opening 45 betweentheg'uardY-plates 40 and the strand will be entered into the slot 10 asindi- V cated by the dot-and-dash line min Fig. 1. As the drum 7 thencontinues to turn and the slit 10 moves towardthe top the strand 1/ willfollow therethrough until it meets the helical groove or slot 8 and isdiverted 11, indicated in Fig. 2.

As the strand, enters the slot 8 it will lead betweenthe two halves ofthe drum in a direct line from the guide-rod 37 to the cross-bar of thebail 50, at which point it feeds onto the rotating cop-tube or carrierC. Thereafter the strand will continue to feed through the helical slot8 in the drum and thus be caused to follow the latter from one extremeto the other to traverse it longitudinally back and forth on thecop-tube or receiver C. The traverse of the strand is continued to laythe yarn on the cop-tube or receiver in helical coils which form layersto build up thereinto at the point 7 a mass of any required form. Asshown in the present drawings the layers of yarn are disposed on atapered cop-tube so that the mass assumes the shape of a cone, and whenthe latter reaches a predetermined size suitable instrumentalities arebrought into play to arrest the winding by lifting the package away fromthe drum 7. As the package increases in diameter the bail is permittedto swing back to accommodate its growth.

Stopping devices are also usually provided for arresting the rotation ofthe package when the strand breaks or its supply becomes exhausted, andin piecing up the end the same procedure is followed as'in starting thewinding. That is to say, the new end is spliced or tied to the brokenend on the package and the latter then placed in contact with the drumagain with the'strand simply laid across the guard 40 and over the topof the drum. As soon as the package starts to rotate the strand will bedrawn down along one of the edges of the V-shaped openingbetween theguard-plates 41 and through the nar-- row slit or opening 45 of theguard to bring it into alinement with the threading slot 10. Then,

as the latter comes around into position, the strand will draw into theslot 10 and be carried down into the traverse groove or slot .8 in themanner as before explained.

It will be observed from the foregoing that the present improvedconstruction of the traverse-.

drum and its guard or strand-guiding device insures that the strand willinvariably be carried toward the middle of the drum to lead it into thethreading slot 10 whereby it will immediately be'entefed into thehelical groove'or slot 8 to thereafter be traversed on the copinvhelical coils extending from one end of the package to theotherandback again in the usual manner of a The present improvementprovides for automatically threading the strand into theslot in thetraverse drum without requiring the attention of the operator and thusexpedites the operation of preparing the machine for winding whilesaving time and labor. The invention further insures aga'instdefectivewinding due to carelessness or inattention onthe part of the operator asthe strand, will never remain out of the traversing slot or groovefor'any length of time and be caused to wind onto the cop to build up aridge or ring.

The invention thus renders the machine to which it is applied moreefficient in operation and capable of a higher rate of production, whilealso'providing for greater economy in its cost of operation.

While I have herein illustrated the invention as embodied in a preferredform of construction and as applied to a certain type of windingmachine, it is to be understood that various modiguard pivotallysupported on the shaft within the drum and provided with an upstandingportion adapted to catch the end of a broken strand, and a counterweightdepending from the guard to sustain the latter in operative positionduring the rotation of the drum.

2. In a winding machine, the combination of means for rotatablysupporting a cop or package, a drum for rotating the package, said drumhaving a helical slot through which the strand feeds to traverse it onthe package, and a bail adapted to yieldingly act against the strand asit feeds from the slot in the drum to direct it onto the package at theapproximate point of contact of the latter with the periphery of thedrum.

3. In a winding machine, the combination of means for rotatablysupporting a cop or pack- 7 mate point of contact of the latter with the0 surface of the drum.

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4. In a winding machine, thecombination of means for rotatablysupporting a cop or package, a drum for rotating the package, said drumhaving a helicalslot through which the strand feeds to traverse it onthe package, a bail pivoted on the axis of the drum, and means foryieldingly pressing the bail against the strand as it feeds from thedrum to direct it onto the package at the approximate point of' contactof the latter bail straddling thedrum and pivoted on its axis,

and a counterweight on the bail for maintaining it in position bearingagainst the strand as it feeds from the drum to the package.

6. In a winding machine, the combination of means for rotatablysupporting a cop or package, means for traversing strand material on thepackage comprising a' drum having a helical groove through whichthestrand draws in feeding to the winding, and a guide for leading thestrand into the groove when it is laid across the periphery of the drum,said guide having opposite arcuate portions substantially covering theforward upper surface of the drum throughout the whole length of thelatter and spaced in concentric relation to its periphery, said guidebeing formed with a V-shaped opening, the edges of which extend frompoints at theoppos'ite ends of the drum near the top thereof andconverge in a narrow slit extendingbelow the horizontal plane of theaxis of the drum.

'7. In a winding machine, thecombination of means for rotatablysupporting a cop or package, a rotary drum having a helical groovethrough which the strand draws in feeding to the package to cause it tobe traversed longitudinally thereof, and a pair of arcuate guide-platesoverlying the forward side of the drum and extending from a point nearthe top thereof to a point below the horizontal plane of the axis of thedrum, said plates arranged concentric with'the periphery'of the drum andspaced at a slight distance therefrom, the upper portions of the plates.

,being cut away to provide opposite edges inclined inwardly from pointsadjacent the ends of the drum to a point intermediate thereof andcontinued downwardly to form a narrow slit'between the two plates.

8. In a winding machine, the combination of means forrotatablysupporting a cop or package,

a rotary drum having a helical groove in its periphery through which thestrand draws in feedmg to the package to cause itto be traversed lon- Hrow slit.

9. In a winding machine, the combination of means for rotatablysupporting a cop or package, a rotary drum having a helical groovethrough which the strand feeds to traverse it on the package and alsoprovided with a supplemental groove arranged at an angle to and leadinginto the main groove, and strand-guiding means for guiding the strandacross the surface of the drum into the supplemental groove thereof,said strand guiding means having arcuate portions overlying the upperforward part of the drum and provided with inclined portions leadingfrom the ends of the, drum to a point intermediate thereof and continueddownwardly in a narrow slit.

JOHAN A. ANDERSON.

